


Empty Quiver

by posingasme



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Aussiedor Puppy, Cupid Castiel (Supernatural), Fluff, Gen, Look them up, M/M, They’re ridiculously adorable, fluffy au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:00:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29281869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/posingasme/pseuds/posingasme
Summary: Cupid Castiel finds love for companion animals who need to find their person. It would just be nice to one day find his own person.
Relationships: Castiel/Sam Winchester
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	Empty Quiver

“Castiel, don’t you dare.”

The Cupid closed his eyes and sighed. The voice belonged to the bevy captain. He lowered his bow with frustration. “Anna,” he began. 

“I said no, Castiel!”

“I have just one more in my quiver for today. Then I can retire.”

Anna snorted at him. “Is that any excuse for doing a half-ass job? You’re better than that, Castiel.”

He was. Usually he was. But today, his heart simply wasn’t in the work. He wanted to go back to his cloud and perch alone. “She is an excellent companion.”

“Castiel, that human is going to be thrown out of her habitat if you make her fall for one more creature! She already has nine cats and a small dog! If you make her fall for that mutt and take him home, you’ll be responsible if she gets tossed from her apartment. She’s an excellent companion, but she has been targeted too many times! Find someone else. Just because she is an easy choice, that does not make her the best one.”

He heaved another sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Of course I’m right. Now go do your due diligence, and find that poor creature its true companion. Every creature deserves that, Castiel.”

The Cupid nodded. He had been properly chastised. He knew it had been wrong to target that same woman again, just because he knew she would have been good to the animal. That wasn’t the point of this. The point was to find the animal’s truest friend, and that poor woman was already overburdened with friends to care for. 

Still, it was the first time in all these years that Castiel had tried to take the easy route instead of doing as he should. Other Cupids got away with it on the regular, he knew. It was just his luck to get caught by the bevy captain the one time he tried to shirk his duty. 

He descended gracefully, and patted the dog’s head in apology. “She would have taken care of you,” he assured it. “But Anna is right. You deserve your truest friend, and we will find that one for you. Come along.”

The dog was part Australian shepherd, and part Labrador retriever, and part many other things besides, though the first two gave him his appearance. Its eyes were two different shades of blue, and its coat was white with brown and blond speckles all over it, with a sweet brown nose and one brown paw. It was a puppy, only just old enough to be away from its mother, and it was covered in dust. The blue gaze looked up at him miserably. 

Guilt stabbed through his heart. “I am sorry,” he whispered. “Come. Let’s find your person. I wouldn’t be called here if your person weren’t nearby.”

For perhaps the thousandth time over his long life, Castiel wondered to himself where his own person was. Bringing loved ones together was blessed work, and he adored it more than anything. But at the end of his day’s quiver, he still returned home to his empty cloud to stare down at the world alone. It was to be a full moon tonight, so the nocturnal Cupids were sure to be busy. But he would perch by himself in silence, and watch the night go by until it was dawn, when his quiver would fill again. Where was his person, his truest friend? In this whole world and the heaven above it, was there no one meant to be a companion to a lonely angel? Was he doomed, forever tasked with bringing about love yet never feeling it?

The puppy got to its weary paws and trotted after his Cupid, and Castiel shortened his long stride so it could more easily keep up. If it were dusk already, he might have carried the little thing, but there was yet too much light to risk that. Humans scared easily, and floating dogs made them understandably suspicious. Castiel almost never took a solid form, if he could help it. Some others did, but he saw no reason for a corporeal state. No one needed to see him. That wasn’t usually part of the job, unless he targeted a particularly stubborn or oblivious human, and had to physically draw its attention to the creature. That was rare. 

Some animals were more intuitive than others, just like some humans were. This one seemed very aware of Castiel’s presence. Others might simply feel compelled to go in the direction the Cupid urged them, without any real idea what was making them do so. Recently, a guinea pig, whose species usually paid him very little mind, had been uncannily aware of him, going so far as to chitter ceaselessly to him along the way to meet his person. It had been a strange experience, and Castiel had felt even more lonely than usual when he left that little piggy behind in its companion’s arms. This creature was less cognizant than that one had been, but more than most. He even felt it try to curl up against his foot when he stopped walking to look around them. 

He smiled down at it. “Not much longer now, my friend,” he promised. “I can feel it. Your person is nearby. You will be warm and clean, fed and loved very soon.”

The puppy yawned, but stood dutifully, and padded after his Cupid as Castiel let his instincts wash over him and lead him toward his target. 

There were many acceptable targets nearby. If necessary, he could use one of the dimmer lights. But somewhere in close proximity was a bright, perfect light, and he was determined to find it for this puppy. 

Castiel was an extremely good Cupid. He could see the auras connecting every person to this little creature, and, whereas some Cupids might chose one at random, Castiel could sense the strongest among every connection. It became overwhelming in large, busy cities. He had paired a sweet little spectral tarsier with a native Selayarese girl who needed a friend just days ago, and the time he had spent in Makassar, before finally finding the animal on the island, had been exhausting. The more people, the more connections, and Castiel was engulfed in confounding lights until he was able to determine that the strongest connection wasn’t in the city at all. The tarsier shouldn’t have been on his docket in the first place, since they were generally nocturnal, but Castiel had been running a favor for another angel who normally worked night shift. Since it was on the opposing hemisphere from his own territory, he had simply added it to his own quiver and gotten the job done before retiring for the evening. 

There he was. 

Castiel stopped abruptly, and the puppy looked up at him. He knew the little thing couldn’t really see him, but it was tipping its head in confusion, much like the angel himself tended to do. 

The man with the strongest connection, the one with the most potential in regards to the puppy, was breathtaking. 

The human was tall, very tall, and built solidly, with especially powerful arms, and beautiful hair. His sensitive hazel green eyes were staring out over a trail on the edge of a wooded area. He had clearly just been jogging. The smell of sweat and coffee and wistful contentment filled Castiel’s senses. He couldn’t help smiling. 

The Cupid shook himself. He sat on his heels to pat the puppy again. “Go. He’s your person. He will be your truest friend, little one. Your connection is as strong as any I’ve ever seen. I’m glad we waited to find this one. He will be good to you.”

The creature padded toward the human, who sat on the grass, stretching his long legs. When he reached for his water bottle nearby, he found the puppy looking at it with longing. 

Castiel’s heart filled to bursting when he saw the man’s face light up with delight. He hadn’t even needed his bow, he realized with a deep fondness. This human knew his role immediately. 

“Well, hey, little guy!” he said in a gentle voice which made the angel shiver happily. Something about a very powerful human being kind to small creatures melted Castiel’s heart every time. Maybe a little more this time. “Where did you come from?” The man laughed as the puppy tipped his head at him. It gave Castiel a strange feeling, and he found himself wondering if his own tendency to do that would bring the human as much enjoyment. “Come here. Are you a little guy? Or a little-You’re a little guy. Okay. You’re trying to sneak some of my water, huh?”

The puppy gave a whimper as large hands took hold of him and lifted him for inspection. 

“Oh, it’s okay, buddy! Here. We can just-I’ll pour some water into the top, and you can-There you go! Aw! Poor guy, you were thirsty, huh? It’s okay. You can have as much as you want. Bet you’re hungry too.”

Castiel could leave now. He was finished with the job. 

“Well, you don’t have a collar, do you? I can take you to the vet to see if you’ve got a chip, but you don’t really look like you belong to anybody.”

He had no reason to remain, when he could be retiring for the evening. 

The human cuddled the puppy to his chest when it seemed to be finished drinking. “You are the cutest thing! Look at those eyes!”

The human liked blue eyes. Castiel’s eyes were blue in his corporeal form. Not that it mattered in any way. 

“I’m Sam. God, Dean is going to kill me. I don’t care. You are so perfect. If we don’t find your owner...Well, you need somebody, right?”

The puppy was sinking into Sam’s warm embrace sleepily. Castiel could feel the relief wafting from it, could sense the complete trust he had for this large human. 

“We need to call you something in the meantime, right? Look at those little speckles everywhere! Can we call you Speck? Do you like that?”

The puppy licked Sam’s fingers drowsily, and dropped his weary head to rest on the man’s arm. 

Sam laughed again. “Speck. We will give it a trial period. I like it, though. Dean will grumble, but I know he will love you too. I mean...assuming we don’t find your owner. That would be best, right? If we found out you belonged to someone else and could go home?” The human lowered his voice to a whisper. “You would tell me if you had someplace else to be, wouldn’t you?”

A sudden flood of madness took over Castiel then, as he realized his last arrow yet remained in his quiver. He frowned in shock at the thought that had flitted through his mind. Angel management would be horrified, he knew. Anna would be exasperated with him. Was he truly considering…

The angel lowered his bow before he even realized he was aiming it. He squeezed his eyes closed as he listened to the human cooing at his new friend. 

He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t fire at the human. There was already an abundance of love in that man’s heart for the dog, so targeting him would open him up to loving the next available creature...Castiel himself. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair. 

Castiel took the arrow in his right hand and stared at it for a long moment. At last, he smiled sadly, and held out his own left hand. Without bothering to try talking himself out of it, he pierced his own hand with the tip, and watched as the arrow dissolved into his corporeal flesh. He stared at it, fear tangling in him. 

What had he done?

It was the puppy. 

An overwhelming devotion to little Speck filled his heart, and nearly brought him to his knees. He sat hard on the grass as emotions washed over him without mercy. 

Sam whirled around. His eyes widened, and he hurried to the angel who had appeared from nowhere. Speck was wide awake now, and staring at Castiel. “Hey! Are you all right?”

He didn’t trust his own voice. Too many emotions! All too strong, too confusing, overpowering. Castiel gave a small gasp, nearly a sob. 

Why was it the dog? 

“Okay, man. You’re okay. What do you need?”

Tears were filling his eyes. “I don’t know,” he croaked. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I never felt these things before!”

Sam still held the puppy in one arm, and he scooped Castiel up with the other, draping his arm over his shoulder to provide support. “You’re going to be okay. What happened? Can you tell me what you’re feeling?”

Castiel looked from the puppy into the genuinely concerned eyes of the human carrying him to a nearby bench. At last, when he was seated, he felt his head returning to him. “What have I done?” he hissed. 

“Speck? Sit right here, okay? Can you just sit?” Sam smiled as the puppy wasted no time snuggling in next to Castiel on the bench. “Is he yours?”

The angel shook his head. “No,” he sighed. “No, but I love him.”

Sam laughed a little. “Me too. He’s sweet. Are you starting to feel better?”

“Yes,” he lied. “Yes, I guess I just…lost my mind for a moment.”

A spark of intelligent curiosity lit in Sam’s eyes now. “What’s your name, buddy? And do you have somewhere to go?”

“Castiel. No. I don’t...live anywhere.”

“Castiel. I’m Sam, and this is Speck. If you don’t mind me asking...how long has it been since you ate something?”

“An era.”

The human gave him a small, sympathetic smile. “Okay. Tell you what. I’m heading home, where I live with my older brother. We’ve got a spare room. If you’d like to come get warm and cleaned up, and get something to eat, we would be happy to have you. And Speck seems to like you too. What do you say?”

“You’re very kind.”

Sam squeezed his arm, and stood straight again. “Let me call my brother and let him know we’re going to have a guest.” He took a few steps away from the bench to place a call on his cellphone. 

If the target of the arrow already felt the connection strongly enough...being struck would simply create love for the next available creature. 

Castiel’s lips parted, and he drew in a slow breath. 

The Cupid already felt connected to the human Sam. So the arrow simply connected him to the puppy instead. It was the puppy, not Sam, because he already felt strong affection for the human. Now that he had targeted himself, what had been simple detached fondness for the dog was deep devotion. It would now break his heart to leave the little thing.

A tingling sensation brought his attention to his wrist. In this state, his bow took the form of a tiny, dark tattoo. As he stared at it, the image faded away from his skin. He heard a familiar voice behind him. 

“Castiel.”

Terror filled him immediately. “Anna!” he whispered. 

He had expected her to be furious with him. But she simply smiled tightly. “You’re a strange little Cupid, Castiel. You always have been.”

“I can explain!” But he couldn’t. He had absolutely no explanation for his behavior, no rationale behind his actions. 

Anna shook her head. They could both hear Sam laughing into his phone. His back was to them, which was good, since he would not have been able to perceive Anna or her voice anyway. “You don’t need to explain, Castiel. You’ve chosen. It isn’t another angel. It’s a human and a dog. That’s very unusual, but as I said, you’ve always been strange. You gave up your bow for them. Make the most of it.”

The tears spilled over finally. “I love what I do, Anna! I’ve always loved pairing companions!”

She reached up and touched his face gently. “Every Cupid encounters his final pairing eventually, Castiel. I’m happy for you that you found your truest friend.”

“The puppy. My companion, a puppy who has already been paired with a human!” he wept. “I gave up my bow just to break my own heart? They will live and love together, and I will be what I’ve always been, but worse yet! Instead of simply lonely, I’ll be heartbroken and without my bow as well!”

Anna took his hands. “No, Castiel. The human. He is your person, and you are his. The puppy will be doubly happy with you both. Can’t you see your connection to this human? It’s plain as day!”

At last, when Castiel looked at Sam, he realized the aura was not only linked to the dog, but also to him. He took in a shuddered breath. “Me?”

“Of course you. Castiel, you can return to your bow one day. But for as long as this human lives, love him, and let him love you.”

“Is it allowed?”

She smiled wryly. “No. Of course not. But I may have done the same myself centuries ago, and I’ll cover for you. I’ll tell the rest of the bevy and anyone else who asks that I’ve sent you on assignment. To learn about love firsthand, to become a better Cupid with field research.” She winked at him. “Be thorough in your investigation, Cas. I will see you at the end of your journey. I look forward to your report.”

His lips were trembling, but he wiped away his tears. “Thank you, Anna.”

“Goodbye for now, Castiel.” She patted the puppy’s head. “Good boy,” she whispered. “You found Cas his person. You’ll make a fine Cupid yourself one day.” His captain disappeared into the coming dusk.

Sam turned back to him with a handsome smile that stole away Castiel’s breath completely. “My brother is looking forward to meeting you. Are you ready?”

Castiel nodded quickly. His heart was pounding in his chest as he lifted Speck from beside him. His voice caught when he responded, “Lead the way.”


End file.
